Scripture Notes

Occasional clarifications from our Pastor on the passages we hear and sometimes don't hear on Sunday morning.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” God owns everything, including our very selves. We were made to serve Him and glorify Him and will never truly be happy or find our fulfillment until we learn that lesson. Jesus has redeemed us and brought us back into the Kingdom of the Father – and that has set us free to serve Him in joy, generosity, liberty, and faith.

YHWH

In English God’s name would look like this YHWH. It is pronounced Yahweh; once upon a time it was erroneously pronounced Jehovah.

In the scholarly literature it is called “the tetragrammaton” that’s Greek for “the four letters” of God’s name. Translated YHWH means “I AM,” it’s God’s answer to Moses at the burning bush. Since the Second Commandment forbade the misuse of God’s name, it was avoided altogether with a circumlocution, “Adonai” which we render, THE LORD.

The disciples and Greek Christians used (kyrios), the Lord, in referring to Jesus. As if all of this isn’t confusing enough, kyrios was a title that had political connections in its day. Perhaps this is why it was almost treasonous to be a Christian in the first century, and why Pilate wondered to what extent Jesus was a king.

About Jesus, St. Paul says, “God has given him the name above all names… and that at that name of Jesus every knee in heaven and earth will bow. “ Philippians 2:9-10

Psalm 18

In the mind of many the Psalms are the work of David; a shepherd, a poet-singer and prophet. We remember him as a slayer of giants, a companion King Saul, a lover and a warrior, but by all means David is a man whose heart was solidly in God’s camp. Many of the Psalms can be attributed to David, but not all. Psalm 18 is unusual in that David gives us the circumstances that inspired its writing. It is a psalm of thanksgiving, for God had rescued him from the hands of his enemies and from the former king, Saul.

A small number of psalms have these brief introductions. You might notice that they have no verse numbers. Most commentaries are silent about these instructions, leaving us to wonder whether they are part of the biblical text, or just the work of a later editor.